Monday, August 06, 2007

Last week on Erik and Abra's first day in Burlington, we met Mandy, Greg and Sara-Paule at Adam's Berry Farm to pick blueberries. Since Erik grew up in Chicago, filling his schedule with daily visits to the Art Institute, Holograph museum, and the Burghoff, he never had time for berry picking. This was his first time.

After a visit to Healthy City and a pizza rampage at Flatbread--where we were joined by Dale and Julia-- Erik, Abra, Sara-Paule and I retired to the halfway house to bake a duet of blueberry pies. Sara-Paule had asked me to teach her in the art of pie making in exchange for her teaching me the art of ravioli making.

Above: SP cuts her mandala-top crustBelow: Lattice top in the ovenSP puts finishing touches on the mandala topbaked mandala topbaked lattice top

Abra prepared the filling, with flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla (we didn't have a lemon, though it is highly recommended in blueberry pie filling!) and I showed SP my crust recipe. I did a lattice top, and SP made a mandala-top. Prior to baking, we brushed on an egg wash, and sprinkled the crusts with turbinado sugar.

I cut the lattice top

We enjoyed the pie with single-serving milks (courtesy of Healthy City), while listening to Steeleye Span and playing Scrabble. Erik won, but he was also reading the "10 ways to become a Scrabble expert" guide while playing.

SP snatched her pie from the windowsill the next morning, Erik enjoyed some for breakfast, and I took pieces to work for Mandy and me.